2000
#11,171
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,604
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Macintyre
Son of the carpenter, builder, or craftsman.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,027 Americans carry the last name Macintyre. That puts it at #11,409 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,232 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Macintyre surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Macintyre with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 113,232
Census rank
#11,409
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,640 bearers of the surname Macintyre in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11409th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Macintyre, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Macintyre
The surname MacIntyre is of Scottish origin and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Gaelic words "mac an t-sair," meaning "son of the carpenter" or "son of the wright." This occupational name suggests that the first bearer was likely a skilled carpenter or woodworker.
The name MacIntyre is believed to have originated in the Highlands of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Argyll and the Western Isles. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century, where a Donald McIntyir is mentioned.
In the 16th century, the MacIntyres were known to be a prominent clan in the Highlands, with a strong presence in the areas around Loch Lomond and Loch Awe. The clan is said to have played a significant role in the Scottish Wars of Independence against the English.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname MacIntyre was Dougall MacIntyre, a renowned Highland warrior who lived in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. He is said to have fought alongside the legendary Robert the Bruce during the Wars of Scottish Independence.
In the 17th century, the MacIntyres were involved in the Covenanting struggle against Charles I. Duncan McIntyre, born in 1602, was a prominent Covenanter and minister who played a key role in the conflict.
Another notable figure was Duncan Ban MacIntyre, a Gaelic poet and bard who lived from 1724 to 1812. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest poets in the Scottish Gaelic language and is celebrated for his vivid descriptions of nature and Highland life.
In the 19th century, John MacIntyre (1822-1892) was a Scottish-Australian explorer and surveyor who played a significant role in the exploration and mapping of Australia's interior. He is credited with discovering several important rivers and establishing routes that facilitated further exploration and settlement.
The surname MacIntyre has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Inverinan, which is derived from the Gaelic "Inbhir nan t-Sair," meaning "the confluence of the carpenters' stream." This suggests that the MacIntyres may have had a strong presence in this area and influenced the naming of local landmarks.
Overall, the surname MacIntyre has a rich history deeply rooted in the Scottish Highlands, with notable bearers who have made significant contributions to various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Macintyre
Among Census respondents with the surname Macintyre, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Macintyre bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Macintyre surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 2,426
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 75
- Two or more races2.7% · 72
- Black or African American1.2% · 32
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Macintyre
Macintyre appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#11,371
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,774
+170 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 200 places
2020
#11,409
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,640
-134 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Down 38 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,171 | 2,604 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,371 | 2,774 | 0.94 | +170 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 200 places |
| 2020 | #11,409 | 2,640 | 0.88 | -134 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 38 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Macintyre surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,371 | #11,409 | -0.3% |
| Count | 2,774 | 2,640 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.94 | 0.88 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Macintyre bearers went from 2,774 to 2,640 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 38 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,371 to #11,409.
FAQ
Macintyre surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Macintyre?
Name Census estimates that about 3,027 living Americans carry the surname Macintyre. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,232 residents.
How common is Macintyre?
Macintyre ranks #11,409 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,640 people with the surname Macintyre. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,027), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Macintyre.
Has Macintyre become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Macintyre went from 2,774 recorded bearers to 2,640. That is a decrease of 134 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,371 to #11,409.
What does the Census say about the background of Macintyre?
Among Census respondents with the surname Macintyre, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Macintyre in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (2,426 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Macintyre appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.7%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Macintyre (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Macintyre mean?
Son of the carpenter, builder, or craftsman. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Macintyre (0.88 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Macintyre?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.